Home Decorating

November 25, 2018

Since I have now officially been brave enough to share my floral paintings, I thought I'd show you where they sit in our home. Well at least the current favorites, as there is only so much space. I just love these picture ledges from Ikea, and they are great for displaying not just pictures or art works in progress but also little items of interest. If you want to know what holiday is coming up, generally these shelves will clue you in, well except for this year as I've been busy learning to paint rather than making Chanukah decorations, which I'm actually really happy about, as i've been wanting to do this for so many years and never quite got there.

These shelves sit over the kitchen table at the end of our kitchen, so while I'm cooking up a storm or washing dishes I can look at my work and decide what changes to make. Or not to make. The paintings shown here are mostly done, namely I'm not going to touch them anymore as they'll likely end up getting worse not better. And some of them are already the third painting done on the same sheet of paper, for the sake of not being wasteful as art supplies here in Israel tend to be pricey.

September 14, 2018

Hey there, the whole world has fun coming up with creative IKEA hacks, so I'm now joining the club. This first one I'm sharing is not my idea, so only taking credit for seeing the idea and actually following through, yippee! This idea is for those of us who would like a modern playful light on the wall but don't have wiring in that spot, ta da, you do need an outlet though, hopefully not too far away. This Ikea hack uses one thing from Ikea, the Ekby Valter shelf bracket in the larger size, together with a simple bulb and cord that I bought at an Israeli lighting store. One can get a bit more complicated with this is you are so inclined by actually threading the cord through the hole, but for now I just wrapped mine around for the simplest solution. Want to make one yourself, keep on reading for some important tips!

May 02, 2018

Tonight is the beginning of the very festive (around our neck of the woods) holiday called Lag B'Omer, though for the moment (a quiet moment before all the guests, action, etc.) I am dreaming about making a festive tin can garden for the next big Jewish holiday, Shavuot! Tin cans of all sizes can be up-cycled to make the most adorable or fashionable tin can garden or centerpiece. Check out the ideas I've assembled for you here thanks to a bunch of talented folks, and don't dream, collect those tin cans and enjoy!

February 15, 2018

Here is the perfect home decor item to bring spring into your home, introducing the crocheted flower applique pillow. Hmm, or maybe it is called the pillow with crocheted flower applique, not quite sure, but in any case this one is a winner and I'm so happy that I've actually managed to complete a project that is going to great use in my home! Oh, and of course there isn't really a greater stash buster than this as you can mix and match as many colors as your little heart desires!

I don't know about you, but I'm a bit wary of crocheted pillows as far as wear and tear, not to mention the time involved, so this idea of crocheting flowers and then using them as applique on a woven pillow cover is just perfect. The pillow won't loose its shape and this can be quick or not so quick, depending on the size of your pillow and how many flowers you decide to crochet. Ah yes, and while you are at it, do take advantage of the fact that this is applique, and be sure to use some flowers with lots of depth, like these, as that really truly makes the pillow special.

I've been wanting to try this idea for years with a simple crocheted doily applique, but somehow this one snuck in at the head of the line, and I'm not arguing! Keep reading for some useful tips, and lets get crocheting!

September 04, 2017

I just love this rustic wooden "heart" wall art that was hanging over a bed in one of our vacation rentals in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago. This would be lovely in a baby's room, as part of the decor at a DIY country style wedding, or sheva brachas, or for any event really, customized of course! So, while I didn't make this, I can certainly see how it was made, and it is great inspiration to use in so many ways. Spell out a child's name, a favorite place, or even another word like hope, smile, dream, enjoy.........or even a funny word that refers to a family joke. All you need are some letters and a low wooden box or square tray, and you're good to go! I actually have been saving some chess boards that look just like this, and now I know what to do with them......now where exactly are those chess boards, hmmm. (This week I am hard at work cleaning out my craft room, so I'm sure they'll show up soon!)

October 08, 2015

While I have yet to show you photos of this year's succah, (and I may never, as there just wan't time to take proper photos......sigh) I did want to share with you one of the crafts I made while pulling an all-nighter before the holiday started: giant stash buster tassels! I have to say, I was quite relieved when I actually loved the results, as I made quite a few of these, and together with some dcorative red apples on vines, they ended up decorating an entire wall!

Of course that wall is also covered with some very ethnic Moroccan metal frames, and the tassels fit right in!

You'll Need:

yarn from your stash, thick or thin or whatever you happen to have! (the dark blue is Red Heart Super saver)

a large coffee table sized book

patience and or course scissors

How To:

Wrap yarn around the height of a large coffee table book until it is about 1 inch wide and about 1/2' high.

Slip a piece of yarn under the middle of the clump and tie a double knot before removing hank from book.

Remove hank from book, fold in half (so that the piece you used to tie the hank becomes the hanger for the tassel)

Now tie a piece of yarn in a contrasting color around the neck of the tassel and wind it around at least 4 or more times. Tie off.

A tassel is born! Now experiment with making some multi colored ones which are truly gorgeous!

March 26, 2015

Gorgeous cut flowers are the perfect way to reward yourself after you've scoured your house from top to bottom in preparation for Passover, don't you think? And even if you haven't participated in this yearly ritual that connects the physical and the spiritual, (which is why we take it so seriously) and reminds us what it must have been like to have been delivered from slavery in Egypt, you still deserve some gorgeous cut flowers, just because! While you're at it, why not have fun with those flowers and turn them into a work of art by choosing interesting vessels and placing them in somewhat unexpected places, namely not just the center of the table! (Though of course, that can be lovely as well, not knocking it.) And with internet flower selection now easier than ever, you don't even need to run to the florist! For those of you living in Australia, you might want to check out this Perth flower delivery shop with fresh flowers.

I love the top photo, not just because the combination of coral flowers with some small white blooms is stunning, but because the container is a fairly simple DIY burlap vase! Get a large can, or a cylindrical vase of some kind, cut a piece of fine burlap or linen to wrap around it, and using rubber stamps, simply stamp an image onto the burlap. So simple right? Of course it helps if you have the perfect stamp, but maybe now you have the excuse to buy one! Or if you need to make a bunch of centerpieces, say for a wedding or special event, why not plan ahead and have a stamp made? Just be aware that the details don't come out very crisp on account of the burlap, but certainly large intials could be legible.

Aqua colored mason jars always look fresh and spring-like and make great simple vases, as do white vintage pitchers in any size.

Photo credit: blog.damasketdentelle.com

And using a collection of vintage creamers, sugar bowls and even bud vases, is a great way to create a stunning vignette in just a few minutes, love that!

Photo credit: susanfindley.com

If you happen to own a footed bowl or urn, use that to make an arrangement that is casual yet very elegant. You just need a piece of floral foam and a bunch of flowers and some branches, and you really can't go wrong! Depending on the season, there are very often interesting berries and pods that one can also include in the arrangement.

Photo credit: acreativemint.com

But if you prefer to keep it simple, a single bloom in a colored glass can be a wonderful way to spread joy around the house. And come to think of it, a single bloom in a clear glass, or crystal glass looks pretty good too. So now you really don't have any excuses!

Note: Here in Israel we are observing the year of rest for the land, which is called shmittah, and occurs every seventh year. During shmittah one can certainly cut flowers from one's own garden, but raising flowers commercially is not permitted, so if you live in Israel please buy imported flowers, or those with rabbinic approval. Bet you never thought you'd need a rabbi's advice regarding which flowers to buy, now did you? Think again!

December 16, 2012

A little bit funny, or rather indicative of my busy schedule of late, that today during the last precious hours of Hanukkah I finally had a moment to take some photos of this year's Hanukkah decor! (The garlands here are all from previous years.) Though truthfully, the idea that I wanted to share with you isn't specifically about Hanukkah, but rather about simplifying holiday decorating by making a specific place in your home where you can display seasonal and holiday decorations. In our case, this happens to be two large wrought iron frames from Morocco that make a perfect backdrop as well as being perfectly suited to hanging just about anything without nails or tape!

With a Jewish calendar packed with great holidays, it's helpful to have a starting place as far as how to bring the spirit of that holiday into your home! And the kids will also be able to focus knowing that there's a creative job to do, namely filling up that designated space with their work.

Do give this idea some thought, whether it be making a back drop with frames, a pegboard, a piece of ornate wrought iron fencing or maybe even an old door or some windows hung country style on your wall? And check out how perfect these frames were for our Purim decor here.

That's all for now, and by the way, Tu B'Shevat is coming, no time to rest on your crafting laurels!

May 08, 2012

A Chinese jewelry pouch bunting banner, for decoration or even as a fun way to keep your jewelry safe but at hand. I came across these little pouches that I'd collected as a girl in a bag of goodies from my mother, and they just shouted out to me bunting banner! And dear readers, you can't get much simpler than that, since you just string them on a nice ribbon and hang!

These little pouches are available at any Chinese import store and are generally quite inexpensive, so have fun with this idea, I think it's perfect for a little girl's room, or even as a birthday party decoration. You could then hand out the little pouches as party favors at the end, maybe with a sweet little ring inside. Or, hey, you could add numbers to the pouches, or names, and use your banner as a place to leave little messages or treats for family members or count down to an important day.

August 17, 2011

Morroccan painted furniture caught my eye this week on a little visit to my favorite Moroccan store in Chatzor HaGlilit. The store is huge and packed with Morroccan items of all kinds, so one can get a bit ovewhelmed, as I did on my first few visits. This time I was completely surprised by the bold beauty of the painted furniture, so I thought I'd share it with you, as one could certainly do something similar!

Here's a close-up of a little table, a design that one could easily adapt to any side table.

And one can certainly go a little in the pastel/country direction with Moroccan, as with these mint green tables, which I just love.

Oh, and look at these little cabinets, this black one would fit into the mostly white house of my dreams....

One could also paint just the doors of a cabinet like this if the total painted look is too busy, right?

Love this intense green version with the hints of pink! Inspired? I know I certainly am, and a painted furntiure piece like one of these could be a wonderful additional to any home, especially in a child's room for those who prefer to keep the main areas of the home a bit more neutral. Do let me know if you try this yourself!